Hearing healthcare in the music industry: results from the MusiCares and Tuned partnership survey

Introduction Music is one of the few routinely-experienced sounds present well-attended environments at hazardous listening levels. As such, music listening has potential to affect hearing sensitivity for individuals both occupationally and recreationally. MusiCares, in collaboration with the Tuned organization, supports access to hearing health services, financial assistance, and basic human services for members of the music community. This study evaluated responses from self-identified at-risk or injured individuals seeking assistance from MusiCares and Tuned on an in-house health-related survey. Methods Starting in August, 2022 the MusiCares/Tuned survey was available for individuals from the music industry; responses included in the current analysis considered those surveys received by July, 2025. The survey includes a wide range of health-related questions, however only those items related to hearing, such as for example the use of hearing protection, self-assessments of hearing status, and presence of auditory disorders such as tinnitus were considered herein. Surveys were de-identified and descriptive statistics were employed for analysis of participant responses. The survey appears in Supplemental Materials. Results 1,138 participants accessed the survey. Most hearing-related questions garnered responses from the entire group, although a few participants indicated that some questions were not relevant for their specific case. Findings of note included nearly a 70% prevalence rate among the participants for tinnitus, while 24 % reported loudness tolerance issues. Forty-one percent indicated difficulties understanding speech in noise and/or quiet either as a standalone problem or in combination with other hearing issues. Although 59% of participants indicated careers in music of greater than 20 years, 53% of participants indicated using hearing protection for fewer than 10 years, even as 57% of respondents indicated having experienced acoustic trauma. Discussion Individuals in the music industry have the potential, routinely, to experience exposures at hazardous occupational and recreational sound levels. Issues regarding hearing healthcare for music listeners is complicated by job requirements as well as by the thrill experienced and reported upon by music enthusiasts who consume music at levels that most people would consider loud. Audiologists and hearing healthcare specialists must improve consumers' understanding of music's unique capability to damage the organ necessary for its enjoyment.